of Christ is now in Heaven it were enough then that Opinion of Transubstantiation is hereby confuted Christs Body cannot be in Heaven and on the Earth both at one time Fourthly the ascension of Christ it overthrows the Opinion of the Carpocraciani that hold that onely his soule did goe to Heaven and his body perished as others And this cannot be for the Disciples said that they saw Christ ascend and this must be his Body for they could not see his soul for the soule is a spirit Now you see the reason why I spent so much time in the morning in giving you many Texts of Scripture to prove this poynt because there are so many Hereticks that doe oppugne this Doctrine of CHRISTS Ascension I now come to give you three or foure practicall deductions First is Christs body now in Heaven then I infer O thou that canst lay a grounded clayme for an interest in Jesus Christ O be not thou afrayd to die doe not thou be afrayd to die that canst lay a claime in Jesus Christ because thy Christ is in Heaven and when thou diest death is but a Trap-doore to let thee in to endlesse joy where Christ is why should wee bee as children to looke on death as a Bugbeare but looke upon death as being a passage into thy Fathers house as being a Trap-doore to let thee in where Jesus Christ is Gen. 45.25.27 And they went up out of Aegypt and came into the Land of Canaan unto Jacob their Father And they told him all the words of Joseph which hee had said unto them and when hee saw the Waggons which Joseph had sent to carry him the spirit of Iacob their Father revived Did Jacob rejoyce to see a Wagon or a Chariot that would carry him into Aegypt to see his Sonne Joseph and wilt not thou rejoyce to thinke that death is a chariot to carry thee to Jesus Christ to carry thee to Heaven O therefore let not thy heart be troubled to die because death is but a chariot to carry thee to Heaven Is Christ gone into heaven Then secondly labour thou whilst thou livest on the Earth to ascend to Christ in Divine and holy Ejaculations and Meditations Is Christ in Heaven then why should not thy heart be where thy head is why shouldst thou be grovelling on the Earth seeing thy Christ is now in Heaven It is a speech of Christ Canticles 3.6 Who is this that cometh out of the Wildernesse like Pillars of smoke perfumed with Myrrhe and Franckincense with all powders of the Merchant Thou shouldst ascend up to Christ though thou beest in trouble in the Wildernesse of this World O ascend up to Christ in holy Meditations the use the Apostle makes of it Colos 3.1 If yee then be risen with Christ seeke those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right Hand of God The argument is where Christ sits at the right Hand of God set your affections there and so in the Phil. 3.20 For our conversation is in Heaven from whence also wee looke for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ Christ is in Heaven therefore our conversation must be where our head is It is a notable Text Mat. 24.28 For wheresoever the Carkeise is there will the Eagles be gathered together That Christ being in Heaven it should make you ascend in your hearts heavenward It is true there are some that wrest these words and give this sence of them that they make the carkeise to be the Jewes and the Eagles to be the Romans because the Romans diduse the Eagle in their Banner and Ensigne of War therefore they say where the Jews were the Romans should come though this was a truth yet not the scope of the Text it is generally overthrowne by most Interpreters But where the carkeise is thither will the Eagles resort Gerrard doth chiefly referre it to the day of judgement where the carkeise is thither will the Eagles resort that is where Jesus Christ is in Heaven as the Eagles doe follow after the carkeise to feed upon that so the people of God as Eagles are gathered about a carkeise the people of God shall be gathered about Jesus Christ and this I doe confesse is the chiefe scope of the place and doe believe it is the chief intendment of the holy Ghost but Gerrard hee makes another use of it too and referres it to the power and efficacy of the Gospell in this Life Christ is now in Heaven saith Gerrard that the Gospell shall be as powerfull on men in the World that it shall make men as eager to come after Christ into Heaven as the Eagle is after the prey so your Soules shall be as eager after the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven as the Eagle is after her prey Thirdly I infer hence that before you presume to apply the benefits and the comforts of Christs Ascention into Heaven labour to feele in your own hearts the efficacy of Christs Death and Ascention every man applies the Benefit of Christs Death and Resurrection and Christs Ascention before they finde the efficacy of his Death and the efficacy of his Resurrection It is the Apostles word saith hee I labour to finde the power of his Resurrection so do you labour to finde the power of his Death and the power of his Ascention before you finde the comfort of it It is to make thee less Earthly minded more passionately eager and importunely earnest after the Lord Jesus Christ dost thou feele the power of his Ascention to make thee more heavenly minded and lesse earthly minded O labour to feele the efficacy and power of it else I might say to you as Jacob said to his Mother in Genesis 27.12 My Father peradventure will feele mee and I shall seeme to him as a deceiver and I shall bring a curse upon mee and not a blessing Nay without a peradventure God will feele and try whether you are men or no that have right to a blessing that shall have any reall advantage by the benefit of Christs Death of Christs Resurrection and Ascention God will try whether you doe not seeke to deceive your owne Soules and deceive God himselfe if so you will rather have a curse then a blessing if you seeke to apply the comfort of Christs Ascention before you feele the efficacy of it on your owne hearts For those that hold Christs Ascention with us yet they doe vary about some properties about the manner of Christs going away which I give it to you in these properties First Christ went to Heaven visibly in Acts 1. It was no transcient glance of the Eye but they stedfastly beheld Jesus Christ they saw him when hee went away Againe Secondly Christ went to Heaven bodily therefore those do erre that hold that onely his Soule did goe to Heaven and his body perished as others doe Thirdly hee went to Heaven locally hee ascended locally there are some men that hold that every place is Heaven where God is
THE SOVLS CORDIALL In two TREATISES I. Teaching how to be eased of the guilt of Sin II. Discovering advantages by Christs ascension By that faithfull Labourer in the Lords Vineyard Mr. CHRISTOPHER LOVE Pastor of Lawrence Jury London The third Volum Job 33.27 28. He looketh upon men and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profited me not He will deliver his soule from going into the pit and his life shall see the light Romans 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us London Printed for Nathaniel Brooke at the Angell in Cornhill 1653. J Cross Sculpsit To the Reader READER THou art here presented with two Treatises of the late pious and faithfull Minister of the Gospell Mr. Christopher Love They come to thy view in an unpolished style as they were taken from the mouth of the reverend Author whose endeavour it was to pierce the conscience rather then to please the eare A garish dresse is unbefitting a chaste Matrone if thou expect here what may be pleasing to a wanton appetite stay at the threshold thou wilt lose thy labour if thy stomach be for wholesome Food and Doctrine according to Godlinesse enter in this diet is for hungry soules The first part will shew thee how thou must proceed to obtaine and assure thy heart of pardon of sin viz. by a sound Confession this duty is much decried in these dayes of Libertinisme but by such as decry the power of Godlines and are loath to have a check put upon their licentiousnesse but doe thou remember he that hideth his sin shall not prosper hee that confesseth and forsaketh it shall finde mercy If we say wee have no sin we deceive our selves and make God a lier if we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive them pardon of sinne is the purchase of the bloud of Christ but intailed upon the Confession of sinne The latter will shew thee thy great advantage by Christs ascension intercession and returne to judgement this is a subject most sutable for the last times times of perill and temptation to quiet comfort and incourage to keepe the heart in the love of God in the patient waiting for Christ and unspotted in the world We have much talke in the World that Christs person shal reigne for 1000. yeares upon earth hee that can see this in Scripture hath a clearer sight then I but what ever becomes of this opinion we are sure of and stay our soules upon this That our blessed Saviour is now at the right hand of God in glory pleading the cause of his despised servants waiting till his enemies be made his footstoole from whence we expect him at that great day to transforme our vile bodies into the similitude of his glorious body to take us into these mansions prepared for us that we may see his glory and be for ever with the Lord. These meditations if they were often in our mindes would engage us to be stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord because our labour is not in vain in the Lord. One thing more I advertise thee that in the perusing of these little Treatises thou wilt meet with many typographicall errors for these the Printer craves thy pardon Farewell J. Cranford Pastor of Christophers le Stocks Curteous Reader These Books following are Printed for Nathaniel Brooke and are to be sold at his Shop at the Angell in Gornehill 1. TImes Treasury or Academy for Gentry excellent grounds both Divine and Humane for their accomplishment in arguments of discourse habit fashion with a Ladies love Lecture and Truthes triumph summing up all in a character of Honour by Ri. Braithwait Esq 2. Morton of the Sacrament folio 3. Physiognomy and Chiromancy Metoposcopy the Symmetricall proportions and signall Moles of the body the subject of Dreames to which is added the art of Memory by Ri. Sanders Student folio 4. Theatrum chemicum Britanicum tontaining severall poeticall peeces of our famous English Philosophers which have written the Hermitque misteries in their antient Language by Elias Ashmole Esq 5. Chiromancy or the art of Divining by the lines engraven in the hand of man by dame Nature Theologically practically in 19. Genitures with a leraned discourse of the soule of the World and universall spirit thereof by Geo. Wharton Esq 6. Catholick History collected and gathered out of Scripture Councells and antient Fathers Moderne writers hoth ecclesiasticall and civill by Ed. Chisenhall Esq 7. Planometria or the whole art of Survey of Land shewing the use of all Instruments but especially the plain Table whereunto is added an Appendix to measure regular Solides as Timber Stone usefull for all that intend either to sell or purchase by Ol. Wallingby 8. 8. An Arithmetick in number and species in two Books 1 Teaching by precept and example the operation in Numbers whole and broken by Decimals and use of the Logarithms Napyers bones 2 The great Rule of Algebra in Species resolving all Arithmeticall questions by supposition with a Canon of the powers of numbers fitted to the meanest capacity by Jonas Moore late of Durham 8. 9. Tactometrica or the Geomety of Regulars after a new exact and expeditious manner in Solids with sundry usefull experiments Practicall Geometry of Regular-like Solids and of a Cylinder body for liquid vessell measure with sundry new experiments never before extant for gauging a work very usefull for all that are imployed in the art Metricall by John Wiberd Doctor in Physick 10. An Astrologicall discourse with Mathematicall Demonstrations proving the powerfull and harmonicall influence of the Planets and fixed Stars upon Elementary Bodies in justification of the Validity of Astrologie by Sir Christopher Heydon Knight 11. Magick and Astrology vindicated in which is contained the true definitions of the said Arts and the justification of their practise proved by the authority of Scripture and the experience of antient and modern Authors by H. Warren 12. An Astrologicall judgement of Diseases from the Decumbiture of the sick also the way of finding out the cause change and end of a disease also whether the sick be likely to live or die by N. Culpeper 13. Catastrophe Magnatum or the down fall of Monarchy by N. Culpeper 14. Ephemerides for the year 1652. being a year of wonders by N. Culpeper 15. Lux veritatis or Christian Judiciall Astrology vindicated and Daemonology confured in answer to Nath. Holmes Dr. D. By W. Ramsey Gent. 16. The History of the Golden Ass 17. The Painting of the Antients the beginning progress and Consummating of that noble Art and how those antient Artificers attained to their still so much admired excellency Israels redemption or the propheticall History of our Saviours Kingdome on earth by Robert
of sin to cloath his sins with all the aggravations that can be and this is a good Rule if you well follow it You have the like instance in the book of Daniel chap. 9. vers 5. Dan. 9.5 We have sinned and have committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgements Vers 6. vers 6 Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the Prophets which spake in thy Name to our Kings our Princes and our Fathers and to all the people of the Land There are seven circumstances that Daniel useth in confessing of his sin to aggravate his sin how doth Daniel cloath his confession First We have sinned there is one Secondly We have committed iniquity Thirdly We have done wickedly Fourthly We have rebelled against thee Fifthly We have departed from thy precepts Sixthly We have not hearkened unto thy servants Seventhly Nor we nor our Princes nor all the people of the land there are seven aggravations which Daniel reckoneth up to his confession that is a third Rule about confession Rule 4 A fourth Rule in confession of sin is this In your confessions look not discouragingly on God as an angry Judge but hopefully as on a displeased Father to confesse sin to God as an angry Judge is to make you but condemned Malefactors in your confessions therefore make confession to God only as a displeased father converted men do confesse sin to God as a father whilest you have an eye of sorrow upon sin you are to have an eye of hope upon pardon thus Gods people did in their confessions To confesse sin to God as a Judge is to howle like dogs because you shall be beaten but to confesse sin to God as an angry Father is child-like with a fiduciall confidence of pardon Dan. 9.9 Dan. 9.9 To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses though we have rebelled against him And thus Shechaniah confesseth sin unto God Ezra 10.2 Ezra 10.2 And Shecharâ—ah the son of Jehiel one of the sons of Ellam answered and said unto Ezra We have trespassed against our God c. And thus the Prodigall in Luk. 18.18 Luke 18.18 I will arise and goe to my Father and will say unto him Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee Though he was a prodigall yet he would go to God as to a father In confession you are to goe to God hopefully as to a displeased father confessions when they come to God as a Judge create fear horror and amazement on the conscience but when confessions are mingled with hope and come to God as a father they work a holy brokennesse of heart a holy tendernesse and remorse on the conscience Rule 5 A fift Rule in confession of sin unto God is this Content not your selves with slight and superficiall confessions of sin unto God but leave not confession till you find sorrow for sin Psal 38.18 Psal 38.18 For I will declare mine iniquity I will be sorry for my sin Dan. 9.8 O Lord to us belongeth confusion of face to our Kings to our Princes and to our fathers because we have sinned against thee we blush and are not ashamed to look up Leave not confessing of sin untill shame hath filled your face sorrow hath filled your heart it is a great fault in many people if they confesse their sin in crying God mercy in a generall way they think they have made God a compensation for all the injuries they have done him though they never have any godly sorrow for their sins but beloved you are not to content your selves with such confession Rule 6 A sixt Rule in confessing of sin is this If thou findest thy heart straitned in confessing present guilt and present sins upon thee then labour to review and recollect ancient guilt and ancient sins This is a very usefull thing in a mans Christian course It may be a man or woman professing Christianity may not know the sins he or she hath done this last week for want of heedfulnesse and observation of their wayes in that case let them recollect what they have done many years agoe recollect old sins when new sins do not come to remembrance and be humbled for them Psal 51.3 thus David did in Psal 51.3 For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me It was meant his old sin of adultery that was his sin that he would now call to remembrance so when he found his heart he saith Lord remember not the sins of my youth he would go so far back as his youth I prescribe this rule not that a godly man who is under trouble of minde should take this course to recollect old sins this may lead him to despair but in case of barrennesse if any man wants matter in respect of present sins and finds his heart hard and very insensible in secret prayer unto God in that case he is bound to let conscience recoyle upon himselfe and recollect sins of past years goe back as far as his youth and see what conscience will bring in to provoke him to make humble confession unto God in his secret retirements Rule 7 Lastly take this Rule take more freedome in confession of sin in secret before God then in publique before men To provoke you to practise this Rule consider two things First it is not fit to confesse all the evils you have done before men and if there were no argument to prove secret prayer this were enough that it is not fit for a man to confesse all the sins of his life before men Zach. 12.12 Zach. 12.12 And the Land shall mourn every family apart the family of the house of David apart and their wives apart the family of the house of Nathan apart and their wives apart c. They are to go to God and confesse their sins apart Thou art a poor professor that dost confesse what thou confessest in publique only and never in private thou art but a barren professor Again confider this that though we read of wicked men that have made great confessions of sin unto God yet we never read in the Scripture that wicked men ever made conscience to confesse sin to God in secret Pharaoh you know the story confest his sin to Moses and unto Aaron Exod. 9.27 but we never read that Pharaoh confest his sin unto God Exod. 9.27 And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron and said unto them I have sinned this time c. Saul confest his sin unto Samuel but we never read of his confessing sin unto God 1 Sam. 15.24.30 1 Sam. 15.24 And Saul said unto Samuel I have sinned for I have transgressed the Commandement of the Lord c. Vers 30. Then he said I have sinned c. Judas confest his sin but to whom was it to the High Priest and to the Pharisees but Judas never went into a corner and in secret to
sight and sense of sin as it is dishonourable to God rather then as it is a shame and a reproach unto themselves In Psal 51. saith David Against thee thee only have I sinned it was against Vriah that he had sinned but against thee thee only have I sinned for thou wast dishonoured by my sin When the Apostle speaks of repentance he cals it repentance towards God Act. 20.21 Testifying both to the Jewes and also to the Greeks repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ To note That where sorrow and confession of sin is true it is more out of a sense of sin as it is against God then as it is against self But wicked men never confesse sin as it is a dishonour to God but as it contracts a guilt and a shame on themselvea Lastly Holy confession of sin in godly men leaves a holy awe and a dread upon the heart making them afraid to commit the sinne after they have confest it making them afraid to come into the occasion of that sin which they have confest thus you read Act. 19.18 And many that beleeved came and confessed and shewed their deeds Vers 19. Many also of them which used curious arts brought their books together and burned them before all men c. He speaks of their sorcery and witchcraft they would burn their books that there should not be an occasion of committing again that sin which they confest unto God Beloved this is holy confession when thou shalt come to God on thy knees in secret and there bewayle a lust and thy confession leaves a holy awe and dread on thy soul to take heed on that sin thou hast confest A godly man may commit a sin which he hath confest but yet he retains a fear and awe upon his heart that it shall not prevail over him in his practise Wicked men confesse sin they have committed yet they are bold and adventurous to commit the same sin again which they have confest And thus the Harlot did Prov. 7.14 I have peace-offerings with me this day I have payed my vowes Paying the vow is a confession that I am in debt to God for my sin and I owe God homage and service yet she made the confession of sin to be a means to provoke her to be more bold and adventurous in her wickednesse To confesse drunkennesse and afterwards to be drunk to confesse profanenesse and afterwards to profane this is the bold adventurousnesse of wicked men thus Pharaoh in Exod. 9. confest his sin and afterwards when the plagues were over runs into the same sin he did confesse and this is the badge and portraiture of a wicked man And thus I have done with this fourth particular I now come to the use Vse First by way of reproof there are three sorts of persons in whose brests the arrow and dart of reproof must justly stick If so be justified persons are bound to make confession of sin unto God then it reproves Sort 1 First The Antinomists who account it a legall and a servile work for beleevers to be bemoaning themselves unto God and confessing sin unto God And therefore in their prayers when you may be cast to hear them in publique all their expressions in prayer are either extolling the majesty of God the excellency of Christ the glory of Heaven the riches of Grace but not a word of laying low the creature in prayer but raptures in prayer and the extolling of divine Majesty these are all the dialects of expressions which they use in prayer Now to overthrow this First Confession of sin to God hath been practised by all the godly under the Old Testament and therefore why should it not be used under the New Dan. 9. He made a prayer to God and it consisted of 16. verses and 14. of them verses were spent in confessing of sin And thus the godly in Nehemiah's dayes made a prayer to God and the whole prayer consisted of 32. verses and 31. of them verses were spent in confession of sin Nehem. 1.6 Let thine ear now be attentive and thine eyes open that thou mayst hear the prayer of thy servant which I pray before thee now day and night for the children of Israel thy servants and confesse the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against thee both I and my fathers house have sinned Thus David 2 Sam. 24.10 And Davids heart smote him after that he had numbred the people and David said unto the Lord I have sinned greatly in that I have done and now I beseech thee O Lord take away the iniquity of thy servant for I have done very foolishly That is one thing to confute this practise Secondly Not only Beleevers under the Old Testament but also Converts under the New Testament did make conscience of confessing of sin unto God Joh. 3.6 And were baptized of him in Jordan confessing their sins Act. 19.18 And many that beleeved came and confessed and shewed their deeds Luk. 15.17 And when he cameto himself he said How many hired servants of my father have bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger Vers 18. I will arise and goe to my father and will say unto him Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee It is an embleme of a Convert if so be it be a parable In the instance of the Publican that Christ declares was justified rather then the Pharisee Luk. 18.13 And the Publican standing afar off would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven but smote upon his brest saying God be mercifull to me a sinner vers 14. I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather then the other c. Now beloved when you have instances in the Old Testament and many examples in the New why then should we blot out so usefull a part of Gods worship as this of confession to God in secret Thirdly God doth command confession of sin unto him Jer. 3.12 Goe and proclaime these words towards the North and say Return thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am mereifull saith the Lord and I will not keep anger forever Onely acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God c. Fourthly God both in the Old Testament and in the New hath annexed many gracious promises to a sincere confession of sin unto him in the Old Testament Lev. 26.40 If they shall confesse their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers with their trespasse which they trespassed against me and that also they have walked contrary unto me Vers 41. And that I also have walked contrary unto them and have brought them into the land of their enemies if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled c they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity Then will I remember my Covenant with Jacob c. If they confesse their iniquity I will